Homemade Chinese Food, Part 3 - Fried Rice

Here we are at the final part of my 3 part series on making Chinese takeout at home!  For those of you that missed the first two parts, Part 1 was Egg Drop Soup & Part 2 was Sweet & Sour Pork.


Part 3 is none other than Fried Rice.  You can't have Chinese food without Fried Rice!!  Usually, when we get Chinese takeout, my whole family ends up pouring soy sauce all over the rice, but not when I make it at home.  That soy sauce bottle gets awfully lonely.  

This is another of those dishes that has a few steps to it, but don't fret. They are extremely simple steps!  And the results when it is all over & done with? It is oh.my.gosh good.  You will find yourself serving the leftovers (IF there are any leftovers that is) with your eggs in the morning.  


You will need:

• 1 1/3 cups white rice
• 1 2/3 cup water
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 pound of bacon
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can green peas, drained
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• vegetable oil

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice & stir.  Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for 20 minutes.


Season the eggs with salt & pepper.  Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan & cook the eggs - flipping when you need to.  Remove them, let cool, & slice into thin slices.  I like to use a pizza cutter...works great!

Fry up your bacon until crispy, crumble, & set aside.  Reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in your skillet & toss in the cooked rice.  Mix in the bacon, peas, eggs, soy sauce, & green onions.  Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.  

Fried Rice

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups white rice
• 1 2/3 cup water
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 pound of bacon
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can green peas, drained
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• vegetable oil

Instructions:


Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice & stir.  Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for 20 minutes.


Season the eggs with salt & pepper.  Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan & cook the eggs - flipping when you need to.  Remove them, let cool, & slice into thin slices.


Fry up your bacon until crispy, crumble, & set aside.  Reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in your skillet & toss in the cooked rice.  Mix in the bacon, peas, eggs, soy sauce, & green onions.  Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.  

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Homemade Chinese Food, Part 2 - Sweet & Sour Pork

A couple of days ago I brought you part 1 to this 3 part series on homemade Chinese food - Egg Drop Soup.  Today, I am bringing you Sweet & Sour Pork, which is not only my favorite Chinese dish, but also one of my top 3 favorite pork recipes.  

This dish does have more steps than some other dishes, but the steps are easy.  Ready to get started?  Well, let's go!

You will need (divided into 3 parts for 3 different steps):

• 1 pound pork, cut into cubes (doesn't really matter what cut of meat I have found - whatever is on sale!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 egg white
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• white sugar to taste
• salt to taste

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Place cubed pork in a medium bowl, and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Mix in the egg white and green onions. Cover, and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

Heat 1 quart oil in a large, heavy saucepan or deep fryer.


Coat the pork with 1/2 cup cornstarch, and fry in the heated oil about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Stir in the celery, green bell pepper, and onion, and cook until tender. Season with salt and sugar. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and stir in the cooked pork, celery mixture, and the pineapple chunks with juice. Return to boil, and mix in 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to thicken. Cook until well blended.

Sweet & Sour Pork

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork, cut into cubes (doesn't really matter what cut of meat I have found - whatever is on sale!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 egg white
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• white sugar to taste
• salt to taste

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions:


Place cubed pork in a medium bowl, and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Mix in the egg white and green onions. Cover, and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.



Heat 1 quart oil in a large, heavy saucepan or deep fryer.


Coat the pork with 1/2 cup cornstarch, and fry in the heated oil about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Drain on paper towels.


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Stir in the celery, green bell pepper, and onion, and cook until tender. Season with salt and sugar. Remove from heat, and set aside.


In a large saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and stir in the cooked pork, celery mixture, and the pineapple chunks with juice. Return to boil, and mix in 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to thicken. Cook until well blended.

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Homemade Chinese Food, Part 1 - Egg Drop Soup

Chinese food is a big love here in the Mrs Happy Homemaker house.  When we have it in front of us, we eat it like candy.  We have certainly done the the Chinese take-out option several times, but I really love to make it at the house.  Even though the take-out stuff tastes pretty good,  I always wonder what all is in it (as I do with most restaurants these days).  

Chinese food really isn't that hard to make yourself.  Some of it can be time consuming, but not difficult to do at all.  I am going to share with you our favorite Chinese meal in a 3 part series.  It consists of Egg Drop Soup, Sweet 'n Sour Pork, & Fried Rice.  And, don't even think about setting those soy sauce bottles on the table when serving this meal.  You will NOT need it!  This meal packs so much flavor - you won't want to put anything additional on it!


I am going to start off the 3 part series with the easiest of all 3 dishes - the Egg Drop Soup.  It is SO simple, that you may just find yourself making this for a quick lunch by itself.  My oldest child can not stand eggs, and even she loves this soup.  

You will need:

• 4 cups of water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• green onions, chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, bouillon, Italian seasoning, onion powder, & garlic powder.  Bring to a boil.


Gradually stir the lightly beaten eggs into the soup.


Remove about a half cup of the soup, & stir in the cornstarch until their are no lumps.  Return it to the pan.  Add in about a half cup of chopped green onions, and boil until the soup thickens a little.  


Garnish with more green onions, if you want to.  I love my green onions...so I have to put more in mine!

Egg Drop Soup

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups of water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• green onions, chopped

Instructions:


In a medium saucepan, combine the water, bouillon, Italian seasoning, onion powder, & garlic powder.  Bring to a boil.


Gradually stir the lightly beaten eggs into the soup.


Remove about a half cup of the soup, & stir in the cornstarch until their are no lumps.  Return it to the pan.  Add in about a half cup of chopped green onions, and boil until the soup thickens a little.  


Garnish with more green onions

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